ゴジラ-1.0

by Takashi Yamazaki, 山崎 貴

ゴジラ70周年記念作品となる映画『ゴジラ-1.0』を山崎貴監督が自ら小説化!!
映画をより深く楽しめる小説版!


戦争から生還するも両親を失った敷島浩一は、荒れ果てた東京で単身強く生きる大石典子に出会う。
焦土と化した日本を復興しようと人々は立ち上がるが、その前に突如として未知の巨大怪獣が現れて…!!
残された名もなき人々に、生きて抗う術はあるのか。

カラーピンナップも収録!

Genres: Science Fiction, Horror

196 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 2023

About the author

山崎貴

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never saw the film version of this, but the book doesn't require it - it's just a very good Godzilla story, and that's because it understands that Godzilla himself isn't a nebulous monster: he is the physical embodiment of war. He's the senselessness of the war machine, the unnecessary deaths, and the unintended consequences.

One of the characters in the book comments that his war hasn't ended yet because of his run-in with Godzilla. He ends the book feeling like maybe it has, but the final paragraphs tell a different story. If you've survived war, it never ends somewhere inside of you. Godzilla is always out there, under the waves.

[Vincent Darlage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One film is nothing short of phenomenal—a five-star masterpiece. I’ve watched it multiple times, in both subtitled and dubbed formats, and even experienced it in both color and the black-and-white “Minus Color” version. Every time, it strikes me as powerful and intense. The film’s blend of spectacle, emotional depth, and post-war themes makes it one of the strongest entries in the entire Godzilla franchise. The booming score, harrowing destruction, and raw humanity give it an immediacy that leaves me shaken no matter how often I return to it.

The novelization, however, does not reach the same heights. Written by Yamazaki himself, it faithfully retells the story with some additional scenes and expanded character insights. It is an interesting companion piece, but compared to the film it feels more subdued. Where the movie overwhelmed me with sound, image, and performance, the novel often relies on straightforward prose that lacks the same punch. Knowing the story so well from repeated viewings also meant that little in the book surprised me, which lessened its impact.

That difference highlights one of the challenges of novelizations in general: they often expand rather than heighten. In prose, Godzilla’s destructive power can only be described, not experienced. The sight of Tokyo in ruins, the force of Godzilla’s heat ray, or the haunted look in Koichi’s eyes simply carry more weight on screen than they do on the page. The book fills in some background and offers inner monologues that add context, but they slow the pace rather than intensify the story’s momentum.

It’s also worth noting that Yamazaki is a filmmaker first and foremost. His storytelling brilliance is visual, and while the novel is competently written, it never feels like it was crafted to stand as a work of literature in its own right. Instead, it reads as a supplemental tie-in that enriches the film for those curious about deleted or alternate material, but it doesn’t transform the narrative into something equally gripping on the page.

For these reasons, I rate the novelization three stars. It is worthwhile if you want more time in this story’s world and some extra details that flesh out the characters, but it doesn’t replicate the breathtaking intensity of the film. The movie earns a perfect five out of five for its emotional force and cinematic spectacle; the novel, while solid, can’t compete with that level of power.

[Matthew Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impressive novelisation of one of the best films ever made. Turns out that "Is your war... finally over now?" will make me cry in print as well as in film.

[Rakib Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Godzilla Minus One is a masterwork of how to tell a simplistic yet impactful story in a profound way. It follows quite a predictable formula but due to the strength of the inherent message and brilliant execution, it turns into something to rejoice for ages to come.

I had an interest in revisiting the experience, so I immediately picked up the novelization of the film as soon as I found out about it. And thankfully the book does deliver with some delightful new scenes and a glimpse into the psyche of some of the characters.

Uniquely, Godzilla Minus One is not just a monster movie, but features the struggles of a post-war country who are on the losing side facing yet another disaster and trying to overcome it this time on their own terms. The characters are quite vividly imagined, making the readers sympathetic to them and feeling anguish or joy alongside them in this all too human tale.

Almost everyone who is a genre fan has surely seen the movie or heard about it. This novelization just gives them another chance to re-enter this world.

4 out of 5 stars from me.

For more reviews and stuff check out my blog -
http://ihate00critics.blogspot.com/

[Brett Marcus Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really curious about how this was put together. At first it felt too dry and basic, and I couldn't tell if that was Yamasaki or the translation. I was also surprised that there aren't any additional scenes or anything, if you've seen the movie this follows it beat by beat without any new material. You get a little deeper into Koichi's emotions and there are more details to scenes, including a full translation the letter he wrote and distributed to Tachibana and an explanation as to why tanks were at the National Diet building in the first place during the Ginza attack.

It's still full of heart and emotion like the movie, but it's definitely not even better.

[Jacob Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

anybody who knows me, knows I love this movie. It’s my top movie of all time.

The book (which is very accurate to the movie) falls a little flat. The visual spectacle of Godzilla is necessary for the heavier moments to hit, even written on a page, i feel spoonfed.

Overall, it was a decent book, but the movie is the preferred experience.

[Max South · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good novelization of a movie I enjoyed a lot, really just adding depth to scenes and characters here and there.

Something will always be lacking though if I can’t actually see Godzilla destroying the city !

[Alanis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*
Aunque parecía ya todo contado sobre este famoso personaje. Esta historia es bastante entretenida y “novedosa”. Muy japonesa también, sobre todo en la actitud de los personajes sobre hechos como el honor, la guerra, la vergüenza, la familia, la generosidad…

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doesn't add anything new to the story, but it's a brisk 190 page read written by the film's director. Like the film, it spends the majority of it's time on the characters as opposed to the titular monster. A good companion piece, but really this is for Godzilla fans only.

[Clover One · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the movie when it came out in the theatres, and the book is just as good in my opinion. Aside from how DESCRIPTIVE some of the sections are, it's really, really good.

[Kyru Reads Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a perfect companion piece to the movie. The only real difference is some of the diologue and some added or changed scenes. It's well translated and I fully recommend!

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

every good book the movie is better tho

[Eric]

Gojira -1.0 the novelization

Review at MonsterBookClub

[Eric Winter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good version of the story. Have no idea whatsoever what the penultimate scene means with the mention of the black sore moving up Noriko’s back.